Although the sending of professional SMS is still unclear compared to other communication tools, it is very promising. Indeed, recent studies have shown that the vast majority of consumers prefer to communicate by SMS rather than by email or by phone. A less intrusive means, simple to set up, also offering more performance in terms of engagement. What is the SMS Pro, and why use it? You are explained.
What is the professional SMS?
The professional SMS is a quality short text message, sent by a company to promote a product / service, to inform or share information with its customers and subscribers.
This communication media has many uses, such as reminding an important date (anniversary, event, etc.), measure customer satisfaction, prospecting customers using opt-in databases, welcome New subscribers, present a new product / service, revive inactive customers, retain, confirm an action (sending, ordering, payment, etc.).
Very different from personal SMS, the SMS for business requires the use of a specialized platform, given the volume of messages sent.
The advantages of the professional SMS
Although underestimated, the SMS professional is a very powerful communication tool offering many advantages:
- Sending the message to set targets
- Customizing the transmitter and content
- Sending and receiving quickly
- Easy interaction with recipients
- Excellent opening and reactivity rate
- High level of engagement
- Acknowledgment of receipt
- Inexpensive
- Easy to follow results and analyze
- World Cover
- Customer Service Improvement
- Increase in fidelity
SMS for business also has the advantage of allowing an answer at any time. If you are not in the office, but your subscribers contact you, SMS automatic responses immediately take the relay. So, you do not miss any exchange or chance of engagement with your audience.
Respect for the law
As for emailing, the text messaging professional is legally well supervised to best protect the public. Before you start, make sure you comply with the law and the established rules. In particular, you must, as required by the regulation (CNIL for France), always allow the recipient to unsubscribe from your sending of SMS by responding to “Stop”.
The main steps to send a sms for business
To send a professional SMS, start by creating your phone number list through subscription form on your site for example, and do not forget the opt-in.
Once your list is built, you can register on a specialized platform (SendinBlue SMS, SMS sendpulse, SMS Sarbacane, etc.). Next only to create and send your SMS Pro campaign by thinking of putting the name of your business so that users can immediately recognize the sender.
Best practices for your professional SMS
Getting consent
As with emailing, you should always get the explicit consent of the recipients of your messages before sending.
Go to the essential
The SMS is a short message of 160 characters maximum, so be brief and concise. You need a grip, a message and a call-to-action if necessary. Also think about customizing your sender name.
Segment the audience
Here too, it is important to split your audience into different groups sharing common characteristics (profession, age, gender, geographical location, etc.) to customize your offer as much as possible.
Send at the right time
Avoid sending your professional SMS too late at night, too early in the morning or Sunday. Instead, prefer hours during the day, including the hours of pause like midday at lunch, or the moment when people leave their work.
Send at the correct frequency
Although the SMS is predominantly perceived as less intrusive than email, it can quickly become very troublesome if you often send to your hearing. Know mode your shipments and find the right cruising pace.
Offer exclusive offers
Do not hesitate to offer exclusive offers to your mobile audience so that it feels privileged and to encourage it to engage in this communication channel.
Finally know that Professional Emailing and SMS do not oppose, but complement each other very well. It is quite possible to integrate them from each other. For example, an email sending can be accompanied by sending SMS on the same theme, so your target does not fail your message. Here more than ever, go there with subtlety and parsimony.
With near 97% opening rates, the professional SMS is a serious asset that it would be a shame not to use. A communication tool for multiple uses can easily be combined with other communication strategies, which will probably soon become an indispensable of any marketing campaign.
